Aci-Jel News

SATURDAY, June 18, 2016 – Swimmer's ear – a common summertime problem among children – is easy to prevent, an expert says. "Swimmer's ear is a bacterial or fungal infection caused by water caught in the ear canal. The tell-tale signs are swelling of the ear canal and some drainage or discharge," said Dr. Nina Shapiro, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Mattel Children's Hospital of the University of California, Los Angeles. Other types of ear infections cause pain inside the ear, but swimmer's ear causes pain when the outside of the ear is touched, Shapiro said in a university news release. Swimmer's ear can be prevented by using the corner of a washcloth or towel to dry ears after swimming. If a hair dryer is available, use the low setting and place the dryer about one foot away from the ear to dry it, Shapiro said. Never use a cotton swab to clean or dry the ear canal because ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2015 – Patients using prescription creams, gels, sprays and pills for skin conditions may shell out substantially more at the pharmacy than they did just six years ago, a new study suggests. Between 2009 and 2015, retail prices of brand-name dermatologic drugs rose 401 percent, on average, study authors reported Nov. 25 in JAMA Dermatology. Even generics have succumbed to price inflation, up 279 percent between 2011 and 2014, based on the drugs surveyed. Price increases for skin treatments far outpaced the general inflation rate of 11 percent during the six-year study period, the researchers said. "Cancer drugs were the worst in terms of the numbers" – up 1,240 percent or nearly $11,000 over the six-year study period – primarily because of two medicines, said Dr. Steven Rosenberg, voluntary professor of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of ... Read more